OPINION: Boomers Are Rock Legends - I Love Rock and Roll!

Syd Barrett via last.fm

Boomers Are Rock Legends - I Love Rock and Roll! by Sandra Aileen Greenberg

"I love Rock 'n Roll put another dime in the juke box baby", does that ring a bell? So how old do you think Joan Jett is? Well, I can tell you this much, she's a boomer. Does that make you feel Old?

I am a Boomer and I am a Classic Rock "die hard". But what I find most interesting is, Boomers aren't the only "die hard" Classic Rockers! Let's face it, being a Boomer today is being cool! Try telling a kid today that the "Peace Sign" he is wearing on his t-shirt is forty years old! You see, everyone wants to be us!

I taught high school for 32 years. Let me tell you a little bit about surviving as a high school teacher. You have to be smarter than your kids (street smart rules!), you have to have something in common, and you have to love your job! Well I was lucky to have all those things. But it turned out that one of the most useful and exciting things I had in common was my music. Of course having a black belt did not hurt!

Music in the 50's was cool and I had endless 45's that I used to listen to. But that doesn't matter, because after the Ed Sullivan show where he introduced The Beatles in February 1964, music was never again the same. Not only was it the beginning of a new age of music, it was the beginning of a new age.

Out of my intense curiosity for wanting to know what "anyone" has on their ipod and/or mp3 player, I would ask kids to see their music. Actually, it was my students that taught me everything I ever wanted to know about downloading music. Napster had made its debut at that time, June 1999, when downloading music was legal and cable was slow! However, much to my surprise, many of my students were listening to Classic Rock tunes, or older Dance (Disco) tunes, even Frank Sinatra!!

But to them I was History! I was legend! I was so cool because I lived back then. I would then tell them about my visits to Folk City in Greenwich Village to see Bob Dylan and the day my mother brought me home the Meet the Beatles album because they were selling it on the street in NYC on her way home from work. I saw Eric Clapton when he was playing in the band The Cream, in Greenwich Village in a tiny restaurant called the Cafe Wha. I couldn't hear for days.

And there were the press seats at the Old World's Fair Grounds in Queens, New York where I saw Led Zeppelin. Oh, and I think it was Christmas 1969 when I was at the Grateful Dead ranch in California. Last, but not least, was the music event of my lifetime, "Woodstock", which we know didn't take place in Woodstock, but White Lake, New York. These are the best details I can give you because it was a long time ago, a very long time ago, but can you make that stuff up? To the kids I was a cool teacher because I had cool music on my ipod!

"Rock Legends" are a mega-force in rock music today whether you like Classic Rock or Alternative Rock. "Legend" being described as "a notable person whose deeds or exploits are much talked about in his or her own time" (taken from yourdictionary.com), would comfortably fit any of the rock musicians that I chose for my Boomer Rock Legend list. There is a wonderful site on the web called "Classic Rock Legends" that will give you stats and facts on the rocker of your choice.

It is easy to conclude that most of the Rock legends that we were consumed with in the sixties and seventies are as least as old as, or older than we are. However, the definition of when and where that "baby boomer" period begins and ends seems to differ slightly depending on what you read. Personally, my cut off is at 1955. What is more impressive is that many of these legends are still rocking today with huge audiences and devoted fans. Let me update you on some upcoming and ongoing 2009 tours.

Bruce Springsteen and his legendary East Street Band have been touring the U.S. after finishing his 24th album "Working on a Dream". Some very cool new tunes for your mp3 player. He plans o play Giants Stadium on September 30, October 2, and October 3 where he will end the tour in his hometown New Jersey. Tickets go on sale June 1st. Not surprisingly, Springsteen holds the record as the number one selling artist at the Meadowlands (which includes Giants Stadium) in New Jersey. The reviews of the tour to date are outstanding.

According to the "Daily Express" newspaper the Rolling Stones have been offered a multi-million dollar deal to come to the U.S. and perform. As they so delicately put it, "the lads may be well into their 60's but the lads can still out-rock most of the bands today."

A big surprise on the music scene for lady rock boomers has been the band Heart, the Wilson sisters, ages 55 and 58. They have not released a record since 2004. However, they have sold 30 million albums and continue to do so. Who hasn't heard of "Magic Man", "Barracuda", or "What about Love?", or maybe has it on their mp3 player right now? Apparently, they rocked up a storm in Rama, Ontario this May and are booked through October 2009 in the U.S.

To clarify what a baby boomer is, I provided you with the following definitions.

Baby boomer is a term used to describe a person who was born during the Post-World War II baby boom between 1946 and 1964 - wikipedia.

A person born in the postwar years (generally considered as the decade between 1945 and 1955), when there was an increase in the birth rate following the return of servicemen at the end of World War II - wictionary.

A citizen of the good old US of A born between the years 1946 and 1960 - sistema

So, if you are a Boomer music fanatic I am certain you have your own favorites list, but let me give you a few, not rated, Classic Rock Boomer Legends:

Aerosmith- Steve Tyler, 1950
Billy Joel, 1949
Blondie - Debra Harry, 1945
Bob Dylan, 1941
Bob Seger, 1945
Bruce Springsteen, 1949
Bryan Adams. 1959
Buffalo Springfield - Neil Young, 1945
Elton John, 1947
Eric Clapton, 1945
Eurythmics - Annie Lenox, 1945
Fleetwood Mac- Stevie Nicks, 1948
Grateful Dead - Jerry Garcia, 1942
Heart - Nancy Wilson 1955, Ann Wilson 1951
Joan Jett, 1958
Led Zeppelin - Robert Plant, 1948
Meatloaf, 1950
Phil Collins, 1951
Pink Floyd - Syd Barrett, 1944 - deceased
Queen - Freddie Mercury, 1946 - deceased
Tom Petty, 1950
Carlos Santana, 1947
Foreigner - Jones, 1944 - Gramm, 1950
Talking Heads, 1950
The Beatles - Lennon, 1940 deceased - Harrison, 1943 deceased- McCartney, 1942 - Starr, 1940
The Cars -Ric Ocasek, 1949
The Doors - Jim Morison, deceased, 1943
The Eagles, 1947
The Kinks, 1944
The Rolling Stones - Mick Jagger, 1943
The Who - Roger Daltry, 1944

I am a Boomer Baby, Sandra A. Greenberg, semi-retired in Maui, Hawaii. I build niche websites and teach self-defense for women. My articles are related to the particular web theme that I am working on. I choose my niche sites based on my personal and professional experience, and a whole lot of research. When I choose a niche site based on my personal experience, it is because I hope I can share what I have learned, and someone else can benefit from it and pass it on. I write from my heart and like to think that I live my life the same way. You can find me at mauiwebdesigner@aol.com

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